Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde.
This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.
Dr. Christian Farthing: Tension Headache
Welcome to the Christian Farthing Blog. Christian Farthing is a spinal specialist. Tension headaches are the most common type of headaches among adults but what is a Tension Headache?
Tension Headaches, also known as stress headaches, are the most common type of headache seen in adults. They are described as a a band like pain, tightness or pressure that is felt around the forehead or back of the head and neck.
Tension headaches can last between 30 minutes and several days. Those that occur less than 15 days per month are known as episodic tension headaches. Chronic tension headaches can last for hours and are known to occur daily or more than 15 days per month. In chronic tension headaches, although the intensity of the pain may vary throughout the day, some degree of pain is always present.
Dr. Christian Farthing Shares the Symptoms of a Tension Headache?
The most common symptoms of tension headaches are:
- Throbbing pain on both sides of the head
- Tenderness in the forehead, which radiates down to the next and shoulders
- Pain often starts at the back of the head or above the eyebrow
- Headache occurs later in the day
- Irritability
- Chronic fatigue
- Problems with sleep
- Difficulty concentrating
- Sensitivity to light or noise
In many cases, tension headaches are caused by tightened muscles. These muscles may be tight due to:
- Inadequate rest
- Poor posture
- Emotional or mental stress
- Anxiety
- Fatigue
- Hunger
- Overextersion
Other causes may be poor posture, teeth clenching and sinus infection, which creates pressure around the head and neck. Alcohol abuse or withdrawal, overuse of caffeine, and excessive smoking are other contributing factors, says Dr. Christian Farthing.
Dr. Christian Farthing: Who is Prone to a Tension Headaches?
About 30% to 80% of adults in the US suffer from episodic tension headaches; and 3% suffer from chronic tension headaches. Women are twice as likely to suffer from tension type headaches. Tension headaches tend to occur more often during middle age, although people of all ages can experience this type of headache.
TRIGGER POINT SELF TREATMENT TECHNIQUE:
This technique involves locating the heart of the trigger/tender point. When this is compressed it may well trigger a specific referred pain map (preferably reproducing your symptoms). This technique involves applying direct, gentle and sustained pressure to the point:
PROCEDURE:
1. Identify the tender/trigger point you wish to work on (see illustration above).
2. Place the host muscle in a comfortable position, where it is relaxed and can undergo full stretch.
3. Apply gentle, gradually increasing pressure to the tender point until you feel resistance. This should be experienced as discomfort and not as pain.
4. Apply sustained pressure until you feel the tender point yield and soften. This can take from a few seconds to several minutes.
5. Steps 3-4 can be repeated, gradually increasing the pressure on the tender/trigger point until it has fully yielded.
6. To achieve a better result, you can try to change the direction of pressure during these repetitions.
DR. CHRISTIAN FARTHING’S ADVICE
There are many reasons why you might have trigger points, so it is important to consider your trigger point pain in the context of the rest of your body. It must be stressed that the techniques offered on this page are not a substitute for therapy from a qualified practitioner; although aches and pains from trigger points are common, there can sometimes be an underlying pathology. It is advisable to always seek a proper diagnosis from a qualified medical practitioner or experienced manual therapist.
Check back for more!
Dr. Christian Farthing is a Spinal Health Specialist and consults for the BodyWell Group, located in the heart of Blean, near Canterbury in Kent. If you are in need of Chiropractic health, contact Dr Christian Farthing today for a consultation. Alternatively, you can also read the BodyWell Group Reviews on TripAdvisor and connect with Dr. Christian Farthing Linkedin page here.
Watch Dr. Christian Farthing video here
Introduce Yourself (Example Post)
This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.
You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.
Why do this?
- Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
- Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.
The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.
To help you get started, here are a few questions:
- Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
- What topics do you think you’ll write about?
- Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
- If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?
You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.
Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.
When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.
Dr. Christian Farthing 